Adjusting device for troughs



P 1959 l. L. GOODING 2,903,224

ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR TROUGHS Filed Aug. 2, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

fggr' L. G d Th9 United States Patent ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR TROUGHS Iver L. Gooding, Marshalltown, Iowa, assignor to Lennox Industries, Inc.

Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,097

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-274) This invention relates to an adjusting device for troughs that are used in evaporative coolers and the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive'adjusting means which is reliable in operation and, when once adjusted, is effective to hold the adjustment until such time as the adjusting device is unlocked for readjustment as found necessary. Another object is to provide an adjusting device for one-end of a troughhaving perforations therein for exit of water therefrom to drip onto an evaporative cooler padof an evaporative cooler cell, the trough being a permanentpart of the cell and arranged so that it is anchored at one end and has the opposite end vertically adjustable for tilting the second end of the trough either upwardly or downwardly relative to the first end for thereby leveling the trough and insuring substantially equal flow of water from the perforations thereof onto the evaporative cooler pad.

Still a further object is to provide an adjusting means for a water trough consisting of a rotatable cam or crank member cooperating with a slot of an angle bracket, means being provided for locking the cam or crank member against rotation once it has been adjusted to the desired position.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my adjusting device for troughs, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an evaporative cooler cell with a trough therein and illustrates my adjusting means associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cooler cell shown in Fig. 1, showing the top portion only thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1 with a portion of the trough broken away to show my adjusting device therefor, the adjusting device being in the central position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to the right-hand end of Fig. 3 showing the right-hand end of the trough adjusted to its lowermost position.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to the right-hand end of Fig. 3, except on a larger scale, and shows the right-hand end of the trough adjusted to its highest position.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, showing details of construction; and

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of my adjusting device.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a sheet metal housing for an evaporative cooler cell, which, together with excelsior or the like 12 therein, and a trough 14 into which water is discharged, provide an evaporative cooler cell that can be inserted in an opening through which air is drawn and the air will be humidified and cooled by its Patented Sept. 8, 1959 passage through the excelsior. The inside of the housing .10 is open except for inside cross bars 15 and outside louvers 16. The louvers provide openings through which the air passes before flowing through the excelsior 12. The trough 14 is provided with perforations such as slots 18 and water is carried therein to about the level shown in Fig. 6, the water being indicated at 20.

Evaporative cooler cells of the general character just described are ordinarily used as three walls of an evaporative cooler unit mounted on the outside of a window and having a blower therein with its outlet arranged to discharge through the window opening and into the room. It is sometimes difiicult to install these coolers absolutely level and after installation they may settle and get out of a level position. Accordingly, it is desirable to have some means of initially as well as subsequently adjusting the troughs '14 so as to make them level and thereby provide an even distribution of water from the perforations 18.

Since the trough is made of light sheet metal, one

I end thereof (the left end indicated at 22 in Fig. 3) may vide a pivotal connection at the left-hand end in Fig. 3.

I provide a comparatively simple adjusting means for this purpose consisting of an angle bracket having flanges 24 and 26 and a slot 28 in the flange 26 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The flange 24 is secured to the other end (right-hand end in Fig. 3) of the trough 14 as by spot welding indicated at 30.

The housing 10 has an opening 32 formed therein through which a threaded stud 34 extends having at one end a head in the form of a disc 36 which may be integral therewith or welded thereto, and in its other end a socket to receive a wrench 44. The disc 36 constitutes a cam or crank having a projection 38 which may be considered a crank pin and this projection enters the slot 28 when the parts are in the assembled position as shown in Figs. 3 to 6.

A lock washer 40 is provided for the stud 34 and a lock nut 42 is threaded thereon as shown in Fig. 6. The stud 34 may be rotated when the nut 42 is loose by means of the Wrench 44 and the desired adjustment thus secured after which the lock nut 42 is tightened to retain the adjustment.

As shown in Fig. 3, the dimensions and relationship of the parts are such that when the trough 14 is level relative to the housing 10 the cam disc 36 is substantially in the center position. It may be rotated clockwise from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4 for lowering the right-hand end of the trough 14 or rotated counterclockwise as in Fig. 5 to raise it, Fig. 4 showing the maximum lowered position and Fig. 5 the maximum raised position. Thus the trough may be leveled up even though the housing 10 is out of level and even distribution of the water 20 from the trough 14 can be thereby secured as it flows through the openings 18' as illustrated in Fig. 6.

My means to accomplish adjustment of the trough 14 is comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install, and yet is always available for ready adjustment from the exterior of the evaporative cooler unit or cell so that adjustments can be made by the service man either at the time of installation or any time subsequent thereto when required. The adjustment is accomplished by loosening the lock nut 42, rotating the disc 36 as desired to secure even distribution of water from the openings 18 and then the lock nut is retightened,

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my adjusting device for troughs without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be in cluded within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an adjusting device for an evaporative cooler trough contained Within a housing wherein one end of the trough is anchored in relation to said housing and the other end thereof is vertically adjustable, a bracket secured to said other end and being provided with a N 2. In an adjusting device for troughs and the like wherein a housing is provided for the trough and one end of the trough is anchored thereto in such manner that the other end thereof may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly therein, a bracket secured to said other end of said trough and having an opening therein, said housing having an opening adjacent said bracket, a stud extending through said housing opening, confined to rotation only relative thereto and having a disc thereon inside the housing, an ear bent from said disc normal to the plane thereof and off center from the axis of rotation of said stud, said ear entering said opening of said bracket, one side of said bracket opening terminating in such position relative to the axis of rotation of said stud as to act as a stop against rotation of the stud after less than a half revolution thereof by being engaged by said ear, and means for locking said disc against rotation relative to said housing by tightly engaging the face of the disc against said housing and thereby rigidly fixing movement due to gravity, one end of said slot terminating said ear relative to said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 30,686 Nevers et a1 Nov. 20, 1860 2,535,386 Brookins Dec. 26, 1950 2,733,082 Backhouse Jan. 31, 1956 2,756,056 Anderson July 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 29,403 Switzerland Sept. 24, 1903 

